A scholarly contribution to educational praxis

This publication contains original research targeting scientific specialists in the field of education. Not only is the disposition of its research endeavours grounded on a philosophical basis, it is also embedded in the empirical. The research methodology of each chapter emanates from applicable philosophical assumptions in the form of an applicable theoretical and conceptual framework. The latter forms a firm basis for the application of sound empiricism. Both qualitative and quantitative empirical approaches were alternatively applied in the various chapters. The content of each chapter was meticulously analysed before being finally accepted. In response to the call for chapters, 26 abstracts were received. After evaluation of these abstracts, 24 authors were granted the opportunity of submitting full manuscripts for evaluation. Subsequently the latter were submitted to a rigorous double-blind peer review process. These manuscripts were submitted to at least two or three specialist reviewers in their particular fields of specialisation. All of these review reports are preserved and kept for enquiry and assessment. The content of the current book was chosen from a selection for a 2014 publication which did not obtain a subsidy from the DHET, titled Nuances of Teaching Learning and Research, published by AndCork Publishers. After careful re-evaluation, a much smaller number of chapters was selected, substantially reworked and considerably extended, after which the chapters were again submitted to a double-blind peer review process. Ultimately, of the 26 abstracts originally received only 10 were finally accepted as suitable for publication in the current volume. Finally, in terms of the requirements set by clause 6.12 of the Department of Higher Education and Training policy on reworked publications, this book now contains more than 50% original content not published before. The content of this book adds to the body of scholarly knowledge in education. In his evaluation of the book, Acting Executive Dean, Faculty of Education and Training, Professor Akpovire Oduaran, made the following remarks: To a large extent, the ideas put together in this book have come from data generated not just from literature found in books and journals but actual interactions with educators and the learning environment. So then, what the reader is offered in this volume is the articulation of ideas that have been interrogated, structured and presented in surprisingly simplistic and yet incisive and academically enriching content that can match the standards of scholarship that is available in the Western World. Yet, what makes this book so welcome, relevant and timely, is the fact that it is built around Afrocentric theories and practices such as one may find in imported literature

The Tech Café, A Social Action Makerspace: Middle school students as change agents

Makerspaces are fertile grounds for students to develop innovative products infused with STEAM principles and cross disciplinary content knowledge; build technological fluency; and support positive developmental growth. Yet, rarely do Makerspaces prioritize these outcomes. Rather, they tend to revolve around the creation of novel objects using cutting-edge technology; craftwork unhinged from their historical, social, political, or academically-relevant underpinnings; and/or the hacking of so-called “black boxes”. What happens when an educator designs and implements a research-based and content-driven in-school Makerspace? Drawing on field observations, interviews, artifact analysis, and the Developmental Assets Profile (DAP) survey, this mixed methods study explored the experiences of students from two urban middle school classes (n=51) who participated in a social action themed Makerspace called the “Tech Café.” Working from a transformative research perspective, the Tech Café also sought to address the “participation divide”— a term suggesting that higher socioeconomic status students have more opportunity to produce media creatively than students of low socioeconomic status. Qualitative results indicated that students reported increased agency in their ability to effect positive change in their world. They engaged in powerful collaborations with diverse members of the school’s learning community as they worked toward solutions using low- and high-technology tools. Their products included a cigarette smoke detecting shirt, an edible insect bug stand, and a stationary making kit utilizing recycled paper. Student profiles incorporated their chosen social issue; steps and challenges in product creation; and outcomes pertaining to technological fluency and sense of agency to affect change. Findings showed that students may have benefited from scaffolding to deepen their understanding of important social issues through research. Quantitative results of the DAP were statistically analyzed according to measures of Positive Identity, Positive Values, Commitment to Learning, Empowerment, and Social Competencies and indicated that no statistically significant differences existed in the pretest-posttest survey scores of participants (n=30). However, a descriptive analysis of score improvement showed that students who successfully created products in the Tech Café moved to higher DAP score ranges more often than those who did not create products. The study concludes with recommendations pertaining to the implementation of Makerspaces in schools

Evaluating a Course for Teaching Advanced Programming Concepts with Scratch to Preservice Kindergarten Teachers: A Case Study in Greece

Coding is a new literacy for the twenty-first century, and as a literacy, coding enables new ways of thinking and new ways of communicating and expressing ideas, as well as new ways of civic participation. A growing number of countries, in Europe and beyond, have established clear policies and frameworks for introducing computational thinking (CT) and computer programming to young children. In this chapter, we discuss a game-based approach to coding education for preservice kindergarten teachers using Scratch. The aim of using Scratch was to excite students’ interest and familiarize them with the basics of programming in an open-ended, project-based, and personally meaningful environment for a semester course in the Department of Preschool Education in the University of Crete. For 13 weeks, students were introduced to the main Scratch concepts and, afterward, were asked to prepare their projects. For the projects, they were required to design their own interactive stories to teach certain concepts about mathematics or physical science to preschool-age students. The results we obtained were more satisfactory than expected and, in some regards, encouraging if one considers the fact that the research participants had no prior experiences with computational thinking

Full Issue: Journal on Empowering Teaching Excellence, Volume 7, Issue 2, Fall 2023

The full-length Fall 2023 issue (Volume 7, Issue 2) of the Journal on Empowering Teaching Excellence Access the online Pressbooks version (with downloadable EPUB format) here. The Fall 2023 issue presents research and guidance on topics related to educational adaptation. The first article by C. Farrell describes an adaptation of the interteaching method to the hybrid delivery method. The second article by C. C. Loose and R. Jagielo-Manion describes a study of modules on personalized learning to preservice teachers and its impact on their comfort level and preparation to implement personalized learning in their classrooms. The third article by B. Bean presents a case study in which students in an introductory data science course are asked to complete a reproducible final project, with proposed adaptations for non-data-science courses. The fourth article by K. Klein et al. reports the results of a study evaluating the effectiveness of traditional and active lecture methods in higher education using a multiple group convergent parallel mixed method design. The final article by S. L. Brosi et al., provides a book review of Rural Education in America, What Works for Our Students, Teachers, and Communities, by G. Marietta and S. Marietta

Proceedings of the 1st International Conference on Live Coding

Open Access peer reviewed papers on live coding published at the 1st International Conference on Live Coding (ICLC) in Leeds

Volume 2. Proceedings of the Interdisciplinary STEM Teaching and Learning Conference

Full version of volume 2 of the Proceedings of the Interdisciplinary STEM Teaching and Learning Conferenc

2013-2014 Course Catalog

2013-2014 Course Catalo

Akin House Curriculum Development and Living History Programming

This unit plan is comprised of a variety of inquiry-based lessons that explore the culture and way of life of the Native Americans who occupied New England. After studying the Akin house documents, materials, and narratives, I chose to focus my unit on the land and the people who came before the Akin family so that students will learn the long-view of our rich New England history